The present invention relates to a cowl cover arrangement for a motor vehicle, having a cowl cover, which adjoins a lower end of a front pane and extends in the direction of a width of the motor vehicle.
By way of example, DE 102013012483 A1 discloses a water deflector for a windshield of a motor vehicle. This windshield is adjoined by a drain body, which can also be referred to as a cowl cover. The drain body is a component part of the water deflector and is formed with a trough portion, with a through-opening serving as a water drain being formed in the trough-like depression.
DE 202013008973 U1 also discloses a water discharge system for carrying water away from a windshield, said system adjoining a lower end of the windshield. The water deflector has a channel element for receiving water and for carrying water away. An air inlet grille for the intake of air is located downstream of the water deflector, underneath a front flap. In order to prevent water from passing over the water deflector into the air intake region, the deflector has a relatively high design, and requires a corresponding amount of installation space in a vertical direction of the vehicle.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a cowl cover arrangement for a motor vehicle, having a cowl cover, which requires a smaller amount of installation space in a vertical direction of the vehicle and nevertheless can carry away a sufficiently large quantity of water.
This and other objects are achieved by a cowl cover arrangement in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
In particular, a cowl cover arrangement for a motor vehicle has a cowl cover, which adjoins a lower end of a front pane and extends in the direction of a width of the motor vehicle. The cowl cover arrangement furthermore has a first wall for collecting water flowing away from the front pane over the cowl cover. Furthermore, the cowl cover arrangement has a second wall for collecting water flowing over and/or through the first wall. At least one water drain is provided for carrying away the water collected by the second wall. Furthermore, an air intake opening of an interior compartment ventilation device is preferably arranged downstream of the second wall, and a water collecting and water drain region is arranged upstream of the second wall. The directional expressions “downstream of” and “upstream of” refer here to a water flow direction or a direction of air flowing to the air intake opening. The water flow direction or the air flow direction is substantially opposite to a main direction of travel of the vehicle.
By arranging the first wall and the second wall in succession, a comparatively good water collecting performance can nevertheless be achieved given a relatively small wall height. The required installation space in the vertical direction of the vehicle is therefore reduced.
The first wall forms, in particular, a boundary of a first water collecting region. The second wall forms, in particular, a boundary of a second water collecting region (and also water drain region).
It is preferable that the first wall or the second wall is formed integrally with the cowl cover. It is also possible for both the first wall and the second wall to be formed integrally with the cowl cover. This reduces the number of components and the number of sealing points.
In particular, the first wall and/or the second wall can be formed integrally with the cowl cover by way of plastics injection molding. A plastics injection-molded part can be produced cost-effectively, is sufficiently lightweight, and also resistant to external weathering influences.
In principle, the second wall can be formed so as to be higher than the first wall. This is advantageous in particular when the cowl cover is formed obliquely, i.e. sloping forward. Here, the first wall can be used to collect a first quantity of water, it being ensured that water flowing over or flowing through the first wall can be collected in any case by way of the second wall, which is higher. A water collecting capacity of the second wall is thus greater than a water collecting capacity of the first wall.
According to a preferred development, a further water drain for carrying away the water collected by the first wall is provided. As an alternative or in addition, a through-hole can also be arranged at a suitable location in a lower portion of the first wall, it being possible for the through-hole to conduct through-flowing water over a short distance to the water drain for carrying away the water collected by the second wall, without significantly impairing a water collecting capacity of the second wall.
According to a preferred development, in the cowl cover arrangement, the first wall and the second wall are arranged between the cowl cover and a closed front flap of the motor vehicle. In other words, the first wall and the second wall are arranged underneath the closed front flap.
Furthermore, the first wall and the second wall are preferably located in an intake region for air to the air intake opening. As a result, the water collecting capacity of the first wall and of the second wall can reliably prevent a situation in which excess water and moisture is conducted or taken in together with the air to the interior compartment ventilation device. In this case, a gap, which is a component part of the intake region for air, can be formed between a bottom side of the closed front flap and an upper end of the first wall. In other words, air for an interior compartment ventilation device can be taken in through said gap.
Furthermore, in addition or as an alternative, a gap, which is a component part of the intake region for air, can be formed between a bottom side of the closed front flap and an upper end of the second wall. It is thus possible for air to be taken in via the first wall and via the second wall, the second wall preventing a situation in which water possibly carried along or overflowing water passes into the interior compartment ventilation device, since said water can be captured reliably by the second wall.
Instead of the gap between the first wall and the front flap, or between the second wall and the front flap, it is also possible for holes to be formed in an upper portion of the respective wall, through which holes the air can be taken in.
It is also possible that both a gap and also additionally holes are arranged in an upper portion of the respective wall.
Furthermore, the first wall can advantageously make contact, with sealing action, with a bottom side of the closed front flap. In this case, holes for the intake of air have to be formed in an upper portion of the first wall.
The second wall, too, could be formed in such a manner that it makes contact, in particular with sealing action, with a bottom side of the front flap. In this case, too, holes would then necessarily have to be formed in an upper region of the second wall for the intake of air.
Through the configuration with two walls arranged in succession in the region of the intake region for air to the air intake opening, the connection of two walls in succession means that water can be carried away more effectively, and a situation in which water enters into or is carried along into the air intake opening can be prevented more effectively.
Furthermore, this can create an intake region for air which, in terms of a low pressure loss, runs in the most streamlined manner possible underneath a bottom side of the front flap.
By virtue of the fact that the two water collecting walls are arranged in succession, they can be formed to be smaller, and therefore more installation space is available for the intake region for air, as a result of which a disadvantageous pressure loss can be kept as low as possible.
According to a preferred development of the cowl cover arrangement, the first wall extends substantially in a transverse direction of the vehicle. Similarly, the second wall can extend substantially in a transverse direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the first wall or the second wall is formed substantially transverse to a direction of water flowing away from the front pane, and the water flowing away can be prevented from flowing further and particularly expediently can be carried away.
The first wall and/or the second wall can extend substantially over an entire width of the cowl and/or of the front pane of the motor vehicle. However, the walls can also be arranged merely in the region of an air intake region. A plurality of air intake regions can also be provided.
It is preferable for there to be no air intake opening arranged in the region between the first wall and the second wall, in particular in the cowl cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.